1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to engine cooling modules for use in motor vehicle cooling systems and, more particularly, to an engine cooling module having a vibration damper designed to attenuate the cooling module response to low frequency road excited vibration.
2. Description of the Related Art
The internal combustion engines of motor vehicles generally include cooling modules, which may comprise a radiator assembly, a charge air cooler and a condenser.
Motor vehicles utilize a radiator assembly to eliminate waste heat from the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. The waste heat is a by-product of the internal combustion process and must be removed to allow steady state operation of the vehicle powertrain system. The radiator assembly generally includes a frame mounted to the chassis of the motor vehicle and a radiator mounted to the frame, the radiator comprising a core, or heat exchanger, and inlet and outlet manifolds or header tanks which communicate with the core. The radiator core comprises a plurality of tubes and fins, typically disposed in alternating laterally extending rows, with the tubes communicating with the inlet and outlet tanks so as to provide a flowpath for an engine coolant fluid, particularly water or glycol. Ambient cooling air is forced across the tubes and fins during operation of the vehicle, resulting in heat transfer from the heated engine coolant flowing inside the core tubes to the ambient air stream.
As the engines of heavy vehicles such as trucks may be turbocharged, such vehicles accordingly may include a charge air cooler (CAC) for the purposes of cooling the turbocharged engine intake air before the air enters the engine for the combustion process. The intake air is heated during the turbocharger compression assembly having a plurality of alternating tubes and fins, with ambient air forced process and must be cooled by the CAC to satisfy engine durability and performance requirements. The CAC typically includes inlet and outlet manifolds and a core across the tubes so as to cool the heated intake air flowing through the tubes during operation of the vehicle.
Heavy vehicles also typically include a refrigerant condenser assembly which receives high pressure, superheated refrigerant gas from the refrigerant compressor and condenses the gas into a high pressure liquid for expansion and cooling of the vehicle cab. The superheated vapor is first cooled to its saturation point at the existing operating pressure and is then condensed isothermally into the high pressure liquid. The high pressure liquid is then sub-cooled to a temperature below the condensing temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,738 to Christensen discloses an exemplary cooling module for use in a motor vehicle, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. The cooling module of Christensen comprises a condenser, a charge air cooler, and a radiator assembly which are disposed in series flow relationship with one another and are mounted forward of the engine fan.
Christensen discloses the use of elastomeric isolators on the radiator assembly to isolate the radiator assembly and cooling module from mechanical vibration loads during the operation of the motor vehicle. Generally, these elastomeric isolators are mounted on the radiator assembly to isolate the cooling module from damaging high frequency vibration input from the engine of the motor vehicle. However, the cooling module is still susceptible to relatively low frequency road excited vibration. This low frequency vibration can be very damaging to the cooling module if left unattenuated.
Consequently, there is a need for an improved mounting system for cooling modules that attenuates the response of the module to low frequency road excited vibration.